These
valued recollections appear in the pages of two personal letters
from the author to Mr. Walter McLeod of Walnut Ridge , Arkansas
in the year 1946. The letters , as part of the McLeod heirs and
were placed in the keeping of Mr. Ray Hall, Director of Field
Services . They were of particular interest and concern to him
because of the family history delineated in them. So that this
data might be shared for clarification of both Craighead and
Greene County history, Mr. Hall released the letters to Arkansas
State Museum for Xerox duplication.

Mr.
Ray H. Hall is the sixth generation in descent from the Crowley
family. His father , George Luke Hall was the son of Mary Jane
Massey , who spent the winter of 1860 with the Crowley family and
was part of the immigrant train from Tennessee that heard Captain
Crowley's call to Arkansas settlement. Mary Jane was the child of
Sheridan Massey , who in turn was the daughter of old Captain Ben
Crowley who contributed to the settlement of the Smithville-
Powhattan area of Lawrence County even before he located at
Walcott and left his name to Crowley's Ridge.

Mrs.
Eugene G. Whittlake

Curator
of History

Arkansas
State Museum

*******

Mr.
Walter L. McLeod

Walnut
Ridge , Arkansas

Dear
Mr. McLeod ,

Your
interesting and highly appreciated letter came this morning and I
am going to reply while it is fresh in my mind and "The bee
is in my hair". I certainly appreciate your promptness in
repling and the information you have so generously supplied.

Yet I
am not satisfied and I think you may be able to provide much
information that will be invaluable to me in this stupendous
undertaking. there are some points that I want cleared up if
possible and I believe you to be in the best position of any one
to do this, and if you will do so and let me know how much will
be required to properly compensate you for your time and trouble
I wll remit the amount by return mail , or as soon after as
convenience will permit.

One
thing is , do you remember where the Indian Trail my people were
traveling when they discovered Crowley 's Ridge? If so can you
describe it? I, perhaps , know more about it from Cache River
eastward than you do; or than you may able to ascertain. However
I shall be glad to have your account of that part also if you
have any or able to obtain any. But I know nothing about it west
of Cache River , and that is what I hope you may be enable to
enlighten me regarding.

Also
do you know anything about the Wilson Ferry Road? I know or used
to know it from Cache River through Walcott and in another
easternly direction across the "ridge " where it
entered the St. Francis River Valley about or near the Bill
Percell place some two miles north of the Greene Co. Court house
in Paragould. This road was a very old road as far back as I can
remember , and it crossed the Gainesville and Jacksonport road ,
another old road, where Walcott now stands , but it was there
long before the present Walcott was dreamed of.

Father's
father , Samuel Crowley , the eldest son of the the discover ,
lived about half way between these two points and somewhat east
of a line from the court house to the Percell place and a half or
three quarters of a mile east of that line.It was in that home on
Oct. 28, 1836 that my father Benjamin Harrison Crowley was born .
I used to wonder where the Harrison in father's name came from. I
did not think it could have came from Benjamin Harrison , 23rd
President of the United States of America , as that gentleman was
only 3 years older than father , having been born in 1833 and
dying in 1901. I thought it not likely that father , was named
for General William Henry Harrison , 1773 to 1841 , the 9 th
President . Where could that Harrison have come from? There was
no question as to why he was named Benjamin evidently that was
from his grandfather , but Harrison had me stumped! One day while
reading the Decleration of Independence which I had done many
times , but perhaps never as carefully as I should have done,
well the truth is , I discovered at this particular reading that
Benjamin Harrison had attached his autograph to that immortal
document , not immediately after that of the author. Thomas
Jefferson , Benjamin Harrison is the way they are enrolled and
that is due to the fact that all delegates from each colony
signed in a group of perhaps that should have done. Thomas
Jefferson being first from the colony of Virginia , and I can
imagine Benjamin Harrison's innermost being aflame with exultant
patriotism as he eagerly grasped the pen from the hand that had
so recently inscribed that wonderful and compendious statement of
self-evident fact, and attaching his signature with thrills of
exuberant joy. This Benjamin Harrison was born Berkeley, Va. in
1740 . (Great grandfather Benjamin Crowley was born in Virginia
in the 1750's , so there was less than 20 years , and possibly
only a little over 20 years difference in great grandfather's age
and that of benjamin Harrison the signer of the Decleration of
Independence). It is possible they may have been acquainted and
possible intimate friends , but be that as it may this discovery
I had not liked the name Harrison in father's name but that
discovery has brought a remarkable change in my attitude toward
the name Harrison . No I am especially proud my father bore that
as his middle name.

One
of our poets asked a question and answered it himself , as he
evidently realized no one else could do so as efficiently.

"What's
in a name ? Well I'll be bound ,

It's
owing to how you make it sound

The
meanest name will sound the best

When
he who owns it does the rest."

A
Cynthia Crowley bought a tract of land at a tax sale in Lawrence
Co. , Arkansas in the year 1826 , this land had belonged to John
Nichols, a fur trader and extensive trader in that region.
Cynthia (Crowley) Lowe, Lane, or Lamb sold this land in 1850 to
Anthony "Trick" Hagan, who in turn resold this land in
1850 to John Nichols. I presume the John Nichols who had let it
forfeit for taxes previously . this land is in what is now
Craighead Co. near the magnificient city of Jonesboro. this
Cynthia Crowley does not fir anywhere in our immediate family
that any of us have as yet been able to discover.I have heard
father say more that once that Tom Lamb married one of the
Crowley girls . This Cynthia may have been the one and it is
possible could have been Cynthia Lamb instead of Cynthia Lane or
Lowe , who bought the land in 1826. This cynthia Crowley was
either of age at that time or else someone else, perhaps , a
guardian, acted for her in this instance.

Polly
married Abraham Peavhouse, Peggy married Charlie Robertson ,
Sallie may have been the Crowley girl that Tom Lamb married but
as yet none of us know definitely. The Lawrence Co. records at
Powhatan may clean some or all of this up, and if you can go
there and make a thorough investigation of the recorder of deeds
, marriage licenses, tax assessing and collections , and jury
service. I will gladly pay you for yor time and trouble.

There
have been one or more articles regarding the Copps family in the
Arkansas Gazette that I would be glad to obtain or copies if
attainable. I understand one at least of these articles appeared
in June 1912 or 1914. My mother's mother was a Copps a sister to
Nimrod Copps . I will be exceedingly glad if you will ascertain
all you conveniently can regarding the Copps and acquaint me with
these facts. jessie brown of Pocahontas , wife of Judge ben brown
is a daughter of Fanny Copps Lehman whose husband James Lehman
was for years a druggist at Maynard , Randolph Co. Also Effie
Lehman Ruff, wife of Dr. Horace C. Ruff one time State Senator
for Randolph' , Lawrence and Sharp Counties, is a daughter of the
Lehman's.

The
Copp's have some Cherokee Indian blood in their makeup and it is
thought Lucy Copps Crowley Melon, who was mother's mother that we
get our Indian blood in the Crowley family. My father and his
youngest child Sarah Alice Crowley , who died in glendale ,
California a few years ago , she being by his 2nd wife , were the
last of our immediate family who are not descendants of Lucy
Copps Crowley and hence the last not having any Indian blood
coursing through their veins . I do not show much Indian in
outward appearance ; but I have some of the traits of character
for which the American Redman have been noted. I have the typical
gander blue eyes which are a Crowley and an Irish characteristic
. My oldest sister and my youngest son both show a very definite
Cherokee physiognomy and lineage and so do some of my cousins .
Among the latter was the late William Thomas Crowley , recent
sheriff of Greene County and Lorin County his borther , and
especially Lorin.

I
reread your brief family history , your article on the weather ,
Clay Sloan Eulogy of the Razorback Hog, etc. tonight before
beginning this letter.

I
very well remember many of the unusual occurances you mention
especially the deep snow of 1886 . We had a yoke of oxen , Tom
and Ned and Joel West our hired man used those oxen to break a
road through the snow to the spring do the other cattle could
follow to get water. Father was away from home at the time ,
having gone to Little Rock , the State Capitol , as a Senator or
to attend the State Supreme Court or something of that nature. he
and three or four other men left Paragould on horseback for home
at Walcott. They rode in single column or Indian fashion , one in
front , breaking the road and the others following him and each
other. When the horse of the one in the lead became tired out ,
or nearly so , he would drop back and another would take his
place . By doing this they finally reached home. They had perhaps
all been drinking , that was one of father's short comings and
the one that finally cost his lisfe . One of the others , a young
husky, fine looking and a fine fellow nmed Joe Robins who had
previously worked for father and made his home with us as the
custom was in those days in that section , the hired help being
considered part of the family. Joe had ben away for some months
and probably was glad to be returning home ; but he had been
inbibing rather freely and became rather loquacious and cussed
father considerably it seams , father took it good - naturally as
most friends do when on a spree together. Finally Joe sobered up
to some extent snd realizing what he had done said " I
cussed old Capt. Crowley ; but no one else had better undertake
it when Joe is around", considering himself a privileged
character , perhaps , a dangerous thing to do , especially when
the one being abused is "an old war horse", as father
was often affectionally called.

This
incident reminds me of one in which the Richard Jackson ,a
prominent merchant of Gainesville and later Paragould played a
unknown part. Pt Cole was one of 21 children born to his parents;
he had one sister and 19 brothers. Ot too liked his dram., he
also liked to talk and play the roll of hero, self -appointedly
of course, Mr. Jackson did considerably credit business at his
store and of couse had to charge more than merchants who sold for
strictly cash .

It
seems that some people will purchase more liberally when buying
on credit than they usually do when paying cash , and the
accounts run up suprisingly fast. Hence merchants who do a credit
business sometimes have hard things said about them usually
during their absence of course. Mr. Jackson was no exception to
this custom if there be any . One day Ot met a neighbor and
during their conversation Ot remarked "You ought to
"hurd "me cuss Dick Jackson the other day." A few
days later this neighbor who was somewhat peeved at Mr. Jackson
met Ot again and said , "I thought you told me you cussed
Dick Jackson ". "I did " said Ot. "I believed
you then " said the neighbor, "but I don't now. I tried
it and it did'nt work. He beat me up and run me out of town
." You fool you" said Ot "I did cuss him , but
when I cussed him I was at home and he was in town."

Well
about the winter of 1899 , I was teaching school at Smithwick
school house about two or three miles out of Knobel , Ark. on the
road to Pocahontas . I was boarding in Peach Orchard and rode a
small yellow horse I had. I had to get up early , go about three
blocks to feed my horse , return , eat breakfast , return to the
barn and saddle my mount and ride the two or three miles by 8
o'clock . On the morning of the 12 of February , 1899 , I
realized it was unusually cold before I arose from my bed.However
I dressed and started to feed my horse . It was cold I struck a
trot. I had not trotted far until I met Mr. Blize , a tall , hard
, old gentlemen who was the justice of the peace at the time . He
remarked "It's the coldest morning I ever saw ." The
houses are white with frost ." We were near the depot and
across the street from the depot the Zimmerman Mercantile Co.,
had a large two -story building the first floor contained a stock
of general merchandise , the second floor was used as a residence
. There was a two story front porch to the building facing the
depot , and the northwest . I remarked to Mr. Blize "There
is a therometer on the front porch of Zimmerman's store. Let's go
there and see how cold it really is." We did so and the
reading was 0-42 . I had never saw so low a reading before nor
since , and I hope I never will again. I did not go to school
that day nor for several days thereafter , neither did any of the
children. The goverment themometer at Corning , Ark. registered
0-25 that was about 8 miles from Peach Orchard and it does not
seem reasonable that there could be that much difference in the
tempertature or lack there of , in two places so near together
and at approximately the same elevation . But such was the case
and if Mr. Blize was living and rational he would make an
affadavit that what I said here is the literal truth .

The
main article on the editorial page of the Kansas City Star some
year ago was devoted to an explanation of what particular
prevailed in various sections of our country , and while the 0-42
at Peach Orchard , Ark. on feb. 12 and 13 , 1899 seems
unreasonable yet there on record many parallel cases. Matt Cugh
had walked from Brockinger Switch early that morning a distance
of about two miles . His mustache was frozen solid.

I
remember the great drought of 1901, very distinctly , and the dry
hot winds that were so detrimental to vegetation in general and
to growing crops in particular . I was licensed to preach one of
those dry windy hot days in July when it seemed everything would
be burned to a crisp, by the district conference of the Paragould
district of the White River Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South. I had been recommended by the quarterly conference
of the 1st Methodist Church of Paragould , Rev. F.A. Jeffett
Pastor, and Rev. J.I. Maynard , presiding elder.

Charlie
Fane of the Old Walnut Ridge was my twin brother in the ministry,
we both being licensed to preach at the same time. Is Charlie
still living? I have not seen him since Dec. 1903 . The White
River Conference met in Walnut ridge that year and I had been
traveling the Knobel Missions, preaching Knobel , Peach Orchard ,
Smithwick school house. I attended the conference at Walnut Ridge
and went out to Old Walnut Ridge to see Charlie. He took me too
see a relative of ours that did not live far away. I do not
recall this relative's family name, but his given name was John .
If Charlie is living , and it is convenient for you to do so I
will be glad to have you ascertain who that kinsman was if
Charlie can recall the visit and the name.

I was
married at that conference in the house of Judge W.A. Cunningham
to Mrs. Emma Martin of Delaplaine , she being the widow of James
Martin who was the son of Capt. Martin and a brother of Mrs.
Jessie Duvall of Raveden Springs, Jessie's husband , Judge James
B. Duvall of Randolph County who was a brother of Judge Thomas
Duvall of Lawrence County. Emma Martin who I married in Walnut
ridge , Dec. 6, 1903 was the daughter of Rev. E. t. church , who
was also the father of Sadie Gee of Ravenden , the wife of Frank
Gee , who was for years associated with the late Sam Ball in the
mercantile business in Ravenden.

On
one occasion while wife and the children were visiting the Gee
family , they had sardines for supper. Ben , our oldest , about 3
at the time had a helping of that delicious dish and wanted a
second helping and being young and inexperienced and rather
reckless as to what he said as his age sometimes is, blurted out
. "Uncle Frank , give me some more fishing poles."

It is
now 5 minutes to 2'0'clock tuesday A.M. , and started this letter
soon after supper Monday night so I had better desist from
further haranging for the time being at least ; but when the bee
buzzes it is difficult to refrain , and I will say this if
convenient give me such information as you may have or can get
easily relative to the Oliphant train robbery , not that it has
any relation to my present undertaking , but I want to use it in
connection with another incident.

I
know a lot of the people about whom you write and may tell you
more another time. If convenient ascertain what you can relative
to tom Lamb , and Cynthia Crowley , Lowe, Lane, or Lamb. Send
your bill to me at Glendale , California .

Your
friend

Lucian
G. Crowley

1515
Orange Grove

Glendale
, California

Second
Letter

*****

Dear
Mr. McLeod :

Your
most interesting and highly appreciated letter came to hand this
afternoon and was hastily and eagerly read and reread. I am sorry
to learn that you are partially incapacitated in your locomotion
due to subnormal condition of the pedal extremities; but my dear
Mr. McLeod

lets
thank god your condition is no worse. there are some people who
have no feet at all and propel themselves on little wagons or
trucks from place to place. Others go on one or two crutches ,
still others are confined to their rooms an even to their beds
for years. Mrs. Tommy Lehman , wife of James Lehaman , and Mrs.
Dr. Ruff and other fine children , was one of these having been
bedfast for years previous to her death . Yet she was a wonderful
Christian woman and kept well posted on current events and was
cheerful to the last.

I
note in your former letter that you were compelled to retire from
teaching some years ago due to ear trouble. I know at least to
some extent how to sympathize with you in that affliction as I
have been totally deaf in my left ear since I was 20 years of age
due to a severe spell of sickness . It has been said that
sometimes a disease will settle in the weakest part of our
physical anatomy and , of course , in my case it naturally
drifted or percolated to the head and while I have been
inconvenienced to some extent by this slight affliction yet I
have much to be thankful for; and if I were more thankful I might
have more.

For
several years my other ear has been failing gradually in sympathy
or otherwise as the case may be. However , I can still hear
fairly well for one of my age, I having last June 13, lived out
my allotted three score and ten years. Yet I am still going
strong and may possible live as many years on this earth as my
great-great-grandfather did. He died at 92. However both the
history which father dictated to Goodspeed in 1886 and the one he
wrote for the Soliphone in 1906 and 1907 , that history of Greene
Co. ran serially for several months , in both these histories
father said his grandfather lived to be 84 years old . I do not
have his exact birth year, nor that of his death.

Ben
in a number of places says that gr. gr. grandfather was born in
1758 and died in 1842 , and those are the dates on the monument
at the Crowley Memorial State Park at Walcott, Ark. yet I am not
convinced that either date is correct and I am endeavoring to
establish for a certainty that he reached the advanced age of 92
, but even if this becomes an established fact , that does not
gurantee me one more minute to live than I have already lived.
However I hope to live to get the present understanding completed
and as many more as our Lord shall see fit to entrust to me.

While
there is some question as to the number of years gr.grandfather
lived on earth yet there is no reasonable argument as to where he
crossed the Mississippi River in his wetward migration .
Regardless of the opinions of those two excellent gentlemen ,
scholars , and writers George Morland and Harry Pander . George
says "I think he crossed at Memphis , "than adds "
I am sure he crossed at Memphis ". With the limited
knowledge of his movements and the limited time he had to devote
to the subject that would have been the logical conclusion for
George. He having some of the facts at his command and being a
fluent writer made an interesting story. However, he says , that
great grandfather was born in Va., and moved to Ga. He does not
take into account and probally did not know that gr. grandfather
went from Ga. back to Va. and from Va. to Ky. Had he gone
directly from Ga. to Ark., Memphis or Chickasaw Bluff would have
been the logical place to have crossed the The Great Father's of
Waters. Harry Pander probably George Morland's word for granted
as being true. I thank both of them and also Ben H.C. were
mistaken Ben wrote in several instances that gr. grandfather
Crowley crossed the river at Birds Point , Mo. As conditions now
are that would have been the logical place to cross as it would
have been almost on an airline between Henderson Ky. and
Davidsonville, Ark. But please remember the great earthquake of
1811 centered at New Madrid , Mo. and an immense territory in
S.E. Mo. and N.E. Ark , sank several feet toward the center of
the eartha and Reel Foot Lake in Tennessee was formed by the
changing of the course of the great river , which river reversed
its course for an hour or more , and the water that had passed a
certain point returned and flowed up stream . While the Reel Foot
Lake is in Tenn. it is just across the river from New Madrid ,
Mo. and for years the sunken lands on the Mo. side were known as
the "Negro Wool Swamp", and were for a large part of
the year covered with water, and for many years considered
impassable.

You
being a man of science Mr. McLeod , and knowing something of the
topography and the geography of that section of the country and
some of the history of our people reached the conclusion , and
justly so, that our people crossed the river either at Cape
Girardeau or St. Geneva, and your conclusions are correct . Had
george Moreland , Harry Pander and Ben H. Crowley known that gr.
grandfather had gone back to Va. from Ga. and from Va. to Ky. and
taken into consideration the great earthquake of 1811 and its
effects on that section of Mo. just south of Birds Point and the
then recently constructed military road from St. Louis to Ark.
Post via St. Geneva and Cape Girardeau, and the fact that gr.
grandfather appeared in Ark. at Smithville which was on that
military road and the further fact that gr. grandfather was a
skilled surveyor and knew his business, they could hardly have
consistently reached any conclusion other than the one you have
reached.

In
the article I enclosed in my first letter to you related to Ben's
death , I state that his gr. grandfather crossed the Mississippi
River at Cape Girardeau in the spring of 1819 . Father makes the
same statement relative to the place , in the History of Greene
Co. in 1906 and 1907 . Had either George Moreland , Harry Pander
or Ben H. Crowley been as familiar with their histories as they
could and should have been before broadcasting to the world in
print what they did; there would not now be so much confusion
especially on this particular point. It is to correct these
errors and others and to add such information as I learned from
father by word of mouth , through my own research , and to bring
corrected genealogy and family history down to date and to
preserve , as nearly as possible for all time present and future
, that I am undertaking this composition and compliations.

Queen
Victoria once said , " A printed word is like a baptized
child , it lives forever ." While there is a germ of truth
in this statement yet neither portion is correct without
qualification . A word may be written a thousand times over, and
a child baptized an equal number of times and may at some future
date be utterly and forever lost. But printed words , I should
have said thoughts expressed in printed form has a much better
chance of survival than those only uttered or those whose
preservation depend solely on tradition and they have a far
better opportunity for a much more extensive distribution. Those
are the reasons I beleive why you and I and all others who write
do so.

Will
it be convenient for you to take up with the authorities at
Powhatan by mail, if not personally the points mentioned in my
last communication? Ben said that a party living in the same
voting area as the officer has a prestige not common to those
beyond such bounds and that is probally true , as such officers
might think that to fail to accede to your request might
jeojardize his re-election or other political future or
friendship. Hence your being in the same county could have a
beeficial effect in an attempt to acquire the desired information
and so expediate the conclusion very materially .

Any
if you care to undertake this for me by correspondence I shall be
glad to have you do so , and I will reward you for your time ,
trouble and expense.

If
you undertake this for me you may eliminate Cynthia Crowley 1826
and 1850 and Cynthia Lowe of the latter date. They were once and
the same woman , she having been Miss Cynthia Campbell prior to
her marriage to Thomas Crowley , the eldest son of gr.
grandfather , who did not live long thereafter and died without
issue. Later his widow married Judge Lowe of Batesville and
became the mother of an interesting family. One son , Gus Lowe
was in the state auditor's office with William R. Miller at the
outbreak of the Civil War. Later he was book-keeper and general
manager for the Dowell Comm. Co. in St. Louis , Mo. in which
capacity he remained until the death of Major Dowell . So wrote
B.H. c. in History of Greene Co. 1906 and 1907 . However I am
very anxious to learn if Tom Lamb married a Crowley girl. Also
did Sally Crowley , born 1812 , marry Tom Lamb or anyone else ?
Also Dolly Crowley , born 1805 ? Father lists her in Hist. G.C.
as having been born April 5, 1805 . That is the date assigned to
Polly Crowley , who married Abraham Pevenhouse . They may have
been twins , but if so that fact has never been mentioned before
either in print or otherwise so far as I have been able to
ascertain. Father gives her credit for two daughters , one of who
married Joseph Austin . I remember him. Mrs. Austin became the
mother of two daughters , but both she and her daughters died
without further issue so that ends that part of that branch of
the family. Dolley's other daughter married Jasper McDaniel and
became the mother of 3 or 4 sons and one daughter . The daughter
died without issue , but one of the sons , Jasper Jr. is still
living and has I think a family so I can get them straight from
him.

I am
also interested in the Copps and Pevehouses .

Can't
you recall the Oliphant Train Robbery ? It took place in the
early 1890's and conductor McNally was killed . I remember it
very clearly ; but do not know even the exact year nor any names
connected with it in any way except McNally . An incident occured
in our county a few days later that I can connect with that
affair and make an interesting true story with as good an ending
as such a deplorable affair could well have , but I need a little
more information than I now have relative to the Oliphant end.

Hoping
to hear from you at your convenience, I remain

Your
friend,

Lucian
G. Crowley.

P.S.

Do
you remember the memorable congressional convention that met in
Newport in 1891 or 1892 in which Clay Sloan of Lawrence Co. Judge
Felix G. Taylor of Clay Co. Philip D. McColough of Lee Co. were
deadlocked for about a week. There were I think 150 ballots cast.
I was member of the Greene Co. delegation and cast sometimes the
entire vote for Clay Sloan , A. A. Know , a lawyer of Paragould
was chairman or our delegation and usually cast the vote ; but
when he became tired , I took over.

You
spoke very highly in your recent communication of Gov. Futrall
and I think justly so. Marian , as a boy , frequently saw my
father and heard him speak in legal cases and elsewhere and
admired father very much so much so that in later life he told
one of my sisters that Capt. Crowley had been his ideal man and
that he had endeavored to follow in his foot steps.

Marian
at one time kept company with sister Cynthia , my second sister;
as also did Hon. W.W. Bandy , who was county representative in
the state legislature , prosecuting attorney of the 2nd judicial
district and circuit judge of the same district. Judge Bandy was
presiding at the time of the famous lipstick case originating at
Knobel . I knew the girls , their parents , Pro. Hicks , the
school directors and perhaps all of the witnesses in that
lamentable affair. I was not there at the time and am glad that I
was not , as they were all my friends and I might have been drawn
into that caldron and came out, if at all , with fewer friends
than in the beginning . And like the mother in one of the old
readers relative to her numerous children, I did not then nor do
I now have any to spare.

But
back to Futrall , I think his especial distinguishing and most
commendable charcteristics are his judgment and integrity . His
wife , in speaking of one of their daughters once said. "She
is like her father , and will have her way or die ". Such
intergrity is commendable only when preached by sound and logical
judgement and Futrall seemed to possess both to a remarkable
degree.

However
there were two instances in his executive career that I think he
veered from his course I thought he should have pursued. First
our people had striven strenously for years to eliminate the
liquior traffic and had finally suceeded in securing statewide
legal prohibition of that nefarious business , and we believed
Futrall to be with us on that proposition and supported him on
that assumption ; but he had not been installed in the Governor's
Office long until he for some reason not known to me , yielded to
the pressure of the liquior interest to such an extent as to
approve of the repeal of the state law on that point and perhaps
of the 18th amendment to our National Constitution . then again
with reference to educational advantages for our young people ,
Futrell advicated assistance without reimbursement except those
desiring a professional career. These he said have as their
objective the accumulation of wealth, therefore they should be
required to pay as they go for what they get in one way of an
education . That to me seemed to shortsighted economy , even from
a business point of view, and that is the chief duty of governor
to look after business interest of the stat, for the state
government and institutions are dependent for their very
existence on revenue and that revenue is procured by taxiation of
the wealth of the state and the more wealth the citizens
accumulate the more and better opportunities the state has for
raising needed revenue. Therefore the state should encourage
every citizen in every way to accquire all the wealth possible in
every legitimate manner. The more citizens with large incomes the
stronger and more progressive the state .

On
those two propositions at least I think Futrall to have been
wrong. However , I think he made a good governor otherwise .
Enough for this time. I hope to hear from you at your
convenience. Good night, and happy dreams,